Maize (Zea mays L.) and Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Straw Decomposition in Soil: Effect of Straw Placement, Mineral Nitrogen and Tillage

With the present understanding that decomposing straw may not onlyaffect soil properties, but pos- sibly greenhouse gas emissions aswell, focus among environmental researchers has gradually expanded toinclude understanding of decomposition rate and stability of straw ofdifferent plants in different soils under different managementconditions. Against such a background, a short-term (60 days)greenhouse simulation experiment was carried out to study the effectsof straw placement, external mineral N source and tillage on strawdecomposition of maize and cotton in two contrasting soils, a redsoil (Ferrasol) and a black soil (Acrisol).

Effects of Method for Returning Straw to Field on Soil Properties,Straw Decomposition and Nutrient Release

[Objectives]To alleviate the influence of meteorological conditions on soil environment(temperature and water content)and maintain high and stable grain yield.[Methods]Taking Sunzhen Experimental Station of Weinan Academy of Agricultural Sciences as the experimental base,the effects of returning double-crop wheat and corn straw to field(Twm),returning single-crop corn straw to field(Tm),returning single-crop wheat straw to field(Tw)on soil temperature,water content,straw decomposition rate and nutrient release,soil organic matter and bulk density were studied systematically.[Results]Twm treatment could effectively alleviate the effects of meteorological conditions on soil temperature and water content.The decomposition rate of straw treated with Twm was 4.7%higher than that of Tm treatment,3.8%higher than that of Tw treatment,10.5%higher than that of Tm treatment,and the decomposition rate of straw showed a trend of"first fast,then slow and then fast".The release of nitrogen from straw was basically similar to that of straw decay,and the release of potassium and phosphorus increased at first and then remained basically unchanged.The release rate of potassium was the highest,followed by phosphorus and nitrogen.The content of soil organic matter in Twm treatment increased by 11.67%annually,an annual average of 0.998 g/kg.The soil bulk density of Twm treatment decreased by 0.058 g/cm^(3) annually,an annual average of 4.29%.The fundamental reason is that Twm treatment provides conditions(temperature,water content,nutrition)for microbial growth,reproduction,enzyme production and biochemical reaction,and increases the exchange capacity of soil and external water,heat,gas and fertilizer.[Conclusions]It is expected is to help people change their understanding of returning straw to field from"quick harvest"to"fertilizer transformation".

Combining conservation tillage with nitrogen fertilization promotes maize straw decomposition by regulating soil microbial community and enzyme activities

Straw return can effectively improve farmland soil microenvironment and fertility.However,excessive straw in the topsoil adversely affects seed germination and crop growth.At present,the characteristics and key driving factors of straw decomposition in dry farmlands are unclear.Based on the interactions between tillage practices including zero tillage(ZT),chisel tillage(CT),and plow tillage(PT)and nitrogen(N)fertilization,i.e.,low N(N1,180 kg ha^(-1)),normal N(N2,240 kg ha^(-1)),and high N(N3,300 kg ha^(-1)),quantitative polymerase chain reaction technology and an enzymatic detection kit were used to investigate the effects of key straw C-degrading enzyme activities and microbial abundance in soil on maize straw decomposition during the growth period of winter wheat in the winter wheat/summer maize double cropping system in a dry farmland of the Loess Plateau,China.Between 2018 and 2020,ZT and CT significantly increased winter wheat yield(by 10.94%and 12.79%,respectively)and straw decomposition velocity(by 20%and 26.67%,respectively),compared with PT.Compared to N1 and N3,N2 significantly increased wheat yield(by 4.65%and 5.31%,respectively)and straw decomposition velocity(by 26.33%and 13.21%,respectively).The partial least squares pathway modelling showed significant positive direct effects of soil moisture,NO3-,NH4+,total N,bacteria,and cellulase,laccase,and xylanase activities on straw decomposition,while soil pH,fungi,and Actinomycetes had significant negative direct effects.Overall,conservation tillage(ZT and CT)combined with N2 was beneficial for straw decomposition in the drylands of the Loess Plateau and improved straw resource utilization and basic soil fertility.The results of the study clarified the key drivers of straw decomposition in dry farmlands and provided new ideas for developing updated soil management practices and adaptive N application strategies to promote the resource utilization of straw and achieve the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.

Decomposition of different crop straws and variation in straw-associated microbial communities in a peach orchard,China

Crop residue is a major source of soil organic matter;therefore,application of crop straw to soil contributes to the sustainable development of organic agriculture.To better understand the transformation of crop straw in orchard soils,we investigated the relationship between the characteristics of straw decomposition and functional diversity of associated microbial communities in a long-term peach orchard,China.Mesh bags,each containing 30 g of corn or bean straw,were buried at a soil depth of 20 cm in a 12-year-old peach orchard for 360 d(October 2011–October 2012).Three treatments were applied,i.e.,fresh corn straw,fresh corn straw with nitrogen fertilizer(urea,10.34 g/kg),and fresh bean straw.Changes in straw residual rate,straw water content and soil conditions were monitored after treatment.The functional diversity of straw-associated microbial communities was analyzed by the Biolog-Eco microplate assay.During the decomposition process,straw residual rates did not vary considerably from 10 d(30.4%–45.4%)to 360 d(19.0%–30.3%).Irrespective of nitrogen addition,corn straw decomposed faster than bean straw.Corn straw with nitrogen fertilizer yielded the highest average well color development(AWCD)values(1.11–1.67),followed by corn straw(1.14–1.68)and bean straw(1.18–1.62).Although the AWCD values did not differ significantly among the three treatments,substantial differences occurred across various time periods of the decomposition process(P<0.01).In terms of carbon source utilization,the dominant microbial groups fed mainly on saccharides.Hard-to-decompose substances gradually accumulated in the middle and late stages of straw decomposition.Of the six categories of carbon sources tested,the utilization rate of aromatics was the lowest with corn straw,whereas that of polymers was the lowest with bean straw.Among different treatments,straw residual rate was negatively correlated to soil available phosphorous,soil available potassium and soil temperature(P<0.05),but not to soil water content.In some cases(corn straw with or without nitrogen fertilizer),straw residual rate was negatively correlated to straw water content,amino acid utilization and carboxylic acid utilization,and positively correlated with microbial species richness and evenness(P<0.05).Microbial community associated with corn and bean straw decomposition in soil was respectively dominated by aromatic-and polymer-metabolizing groups during the middle and late stages of this process,which could reduce the stability of microbial community structure and decrease the rate of straw decomposition in the fruit tree orchard.

Changes of soil microbial communities during decomposition of straw residues under different land uses

Monitoring soil microbial communities can lead to better understanding of the transformation processes of organic carbon in soil. The present study investigated the changes of soil microbial communities during straw decomposition in three fields, i.e., cropland, peach orchard and vineyard. Straw decomposition was monitored for 360 d using a mesh-bag method. Soil microbial metabolic activity and functional diversity were measured using the Biolog-Eco system. In all three fields, dried straws with a smaller size decomposed faster than their fresh counterparts that had a larger size. Dried corn straw decomposed slower than dried soybean straw in the early and middle stages, while the reverse trend was found in the late stage. The cropland showed the highest increase in microbial metabolic activity during the straw decomposition, whereas the peach orchard showed the lowest. There was no significant change in the species dominance or evenness of soil microbial communities during the straw decomposition. However, the species richness fluctuated significantly, with the peach orchard showing the highest richness and the cropland the lowest. With different carbon sources, the peach orchard utilised carbon the most, followed by the cropland and the vineyard. In all three fields, carbon was utilized in following decreasing order： saccharides〉amino acids〉polymers〉polyamines〉carboxylic acids〉aromatic compounds. In terms of carbon-source utilization, soil microbial communities in the peach orchard were less stable than those in the cropland. The metabolic activity and species dominance of soil microbial communities were negatively correlated with the straw residual percentage. Refractory components were primarily accumulated in the late stages, thus slowing down the straw decomposition. The results showed that dried and crushed corn straw was better for application in long-term fields. The diversity of soil microbial communities was more stable in cropland than in orchards during the straw decomposition.